Presto

Oct.-Nov., 1935
PRESTO-TIMES
A LATE MINNEAPOLIS PIANO
E X E C U T I V E COMMITTEE MEETING
National Piano Manufacturers' Association of America,
Inc.
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The last meeting of this committee occurred on Sep-
tember 19: Present on the occasion were:
Lucien Wulsin, President The Baldwin Piano Com-
pany, Chairman; W. G. Heller, (Winter Piano Com-
pany); C. Albert Jacob, Jr., (Jacob Bros, and Mathu-
shek Piano Mfg. Co.); George C. Seeley, (Comstock,
Cheney & Co.); Theodore E. Steinway, (Steinway &
Sons); Carl Ultes, (O. S. Kelley Co.); and w ! A.
Mennie, secretary of the Association. L. P. Bull,
(Story & Clark Piano Company), committee mmber,
was not able to attend.
The matter of having pianos placed along with other
lines of goods on the list for financing under the Guar-
anteed Loan Plan of the Federal Housing Act was
considered. Pianos and other musical instruments
along with furniture are specifically excluded from
eligibility to such financing under the latest regula-
tions of the Federal Housing Administration and
therefore, and after discussions with the Federal
Housing Authority, it was decided that the association
take no further action in the matter.
The matter of an Industry name for the new style
of upright pianos was considered and it was decided
that the term, "grand piano" in the mind of the gen-
eral public clearly means the piano with horizontal
strings and gravity action. The committee confirmed
this definition and further decided that specific trade
mark names for special styles and designs of pianos
is a matter for each manufacturer individually to
decide.
The chairman of the committee showed an editorial
which had appeared in a Springfield (Mass.) paper
wherein mention was made of what the paper called
"a slump in piano business." This Springfield story
seemed to be similar to other gossip that has been
going the rounds of newspapers during the past year
or more, mostly inspired by the thought that
"calamity" catch lines are of the character of sensa-
tionalism that attracts attention. A consensus of
opinion on this sort of newspaper publicity seems to
be to let the thing kill itself. The music industry is
humming for keeps these days and everybody is find-
ing it out.
Similarly, it has been noised about a bit that a
"sample" little upright piano brought over from Japan
has been shown importers in this country, in Mexico
and elsewhere, with a view to interesting them in
introducing the instrument, which, it is said, would
retail at less than $100. No encouragement was found
here, for with an import duty to the United States
of nearly 50 percent and a government duty out of
Japan, with freight, commissions and costs incident
for foreign goods, these items w T ere practically pro-
hibitive of any kind of success, not to mention the
uncertainty of the product itself.
no composer
can write
A composer cannot write color into his
music. There are no musical symbols for
purely emotional values . . . and Chopin's
Ballades, on paper, are but a succession of
notes. Color can be given only by the per-
former . . . and by the instrument he uses.
Among musicians . . . virtuosi . . . the
marvelous color of the Steinway is part
of the priceless Steinway tradition. Unro-
mantically. it comes not from the art of
making a fine piano, but from the science.
It is the result of Steinway invention, avail-
able only in the Steinway, jealously guarded
by Steinway.
BALDWIN REGIONAL MEETINGS
One of the occasional gatherings of Baldwin dealers,
which occur from time to time in various sections oi
the country under the direction of regional representa-
tives of the Baldwin Piano Company, was recently
held at Raleigh, N. Car., where a large gathering of
Baldwin dealers in that territory met at the Sir Walter
Hotel and discussed matters of interest regarding
present and future piano business particularly, of
course, as regards the part that the Baldwin line of
pianos is playing in the trade. "Every dealer pres-
ent," as one of the dealers who was at the Raleigh
meeting writes to Presto-Times, "was so enthusiastic
about the future that he departed for his home with
the feeling that this fall and holiday season trade
will be the greatest since pre-depression days. These
Baldwin gatherings are certainly worthwhile affairs."
Another Baldwin dealers' meeting occurred at the
Nioollet Hotel in Minneapolis. About sixty dealers
were at this meeting from seven different states and
Canada. This being in the territory of J. M. Wylie
(hometown headquarters, Fargo, N. D.), Northwest-
ern representative of Baldwin, that gentleman was
called upon to play an active part in making the con-
vention the great Baldwin "Meet" that it was. The
guests of honor were Philip Wyman. vice-president
of The Baldwin Piano Company, and Charles H.
Sissions of the Research Department; H. G. Runyan
of the Finance Department, and Bruce Smith of the
Wholesale Department of the house of Baldwin.
There were some intensely interesting talks and short
speeches and addresses made at this meeting.
Our salesmen will talk of our Duplex
Scale. In terms of piano playing that
means color . . . the building up of a tone
by bringing out its overtones; by adding
the harmonious partials to each funda-
mental. And the Duplex Scale is just one
of a great many Steinway developments.
The price of a Steinway now is lower
than it has been for many years. The terms
are likewise convenient.
Steinway
THE
•
OF THE IMMORTALS
STEINWAY & SONS
Steinway Hall
109 West 57 St.
New York, N. Y.
P. A. STARCK ON EASTERN TRIP
Philip A. Starck, president of the Starck Piano
Company, the main office and general salesrooms of
which are at 16 No. Michigan blvd., Chicago, at this
writing is visiting various Starck company branch
stores and other Starck agencies in the East. He
intends to visit Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Bal-
timore and other important trade centers on this tour.
INSTRUMENT
•i
iimiiiii
OPENING
The establishment of an important piano depart-
ment to the big Boutell Brothers Store, Marquette
Ave. and Fifth St., Minneapolis, Minn., is one of the
interesting items of news that comes from the "Twin
City" district. The Boutell piano department is in
charge of H. J. Sneller, a comparatively young man
in years, well and favorably known. He was formerly
connected with the M. L. McGinnis Piano Co. of
Minneapolis.
The Boutell concern carries agencies for the Aeolian-
American line, the Story & Clark and the Gulbransen,
including, of course, the Gulbransen spinet organ or,
as Mr. Sneller calls the instrument, the "Miniature
Spinet Organ."
Several years ago Boutell. of which Mr. A. David-
son is the president, purchased the business of the
Foster-Waldo Music House. They bought, as Mr.
Sneller says, "lock, stock and barrel"; everything of
value that Foster & Waldo had in stock, but they did
not immediately keep up in a big and representative
manner the piano business, carrying on this business
to get rid of the old Foster-Waldo stock. Now with
improved economic conditions and the music business
coming back Mr. Davidson says that "the time is ripe
for opening the fine piano salon which we have been
making ready for quite a while."
LEVIS MUSIC HOUSE I M P R O V E M E N T S
The extensive repairs and rebuilding operations of
the Levis Music Store, 29 South avenue, Rochester,
N. Y., embrace rebuilding of three floors and base-
ment, extending through to South Water street. The
Levis Music Store has occupied quarters next door
for twenty-five years and will occupy the new prem-
ises as soon as building and remodeling are finished.
The thirty-second anniversary of the Levis Music
House and the thirtieth year of its establishment in
South avenue is to occur this autumn. The business
was established by Stanley W. Levis who had been
with the Mackie Piano Company for many years.
Since the establishment of the Levis Music House
they have purchased and consolidated the Balcam
Music Co., the J. W. Martin & Sons business and
the piano manufacturing and retail store of Gibbons
& Stone.
DOESN'T BRAG, BUT IS SATISFIED WITH
RESULTS
Without bragging or bluster H. Edgar French, now
operating the Jesse French Corporation, which suc-
ceeded the old Jesse French & Sons Piano Company
at Bluff ton, Ind., says: "We didn't do a whirlwind
business at the July music trade convention; nobody
expects anything like that in July, but we did take
in some very satisfactory orders."
A later communication from Mr. French says that
trade for the autumn season is opening up finely and
"I am glad to report that business is fifty per cent
ahead of last year. Tn fact we have already shipped
more Jesse French grand pianos up to September
this year than we did in the whole of 1934 and we
have more unfilled orders on hand than at any previ-
ous time during the last three years."
FORBES PIANO CO. IN NEW FIVE-STORY
BUILDING
The E. K. Forbes & Son Piano Company, which
for several years has been located at 1922 Third ave-
nue North, Birmingham, Ala., has leased a five-story
fireproof building with forty-foot frontage on 20th
street North, that city. The building forms an "L"
and has a 25-foot frontage on Fourth avenue North.
Recital halls and studios are being made. This will
make a fine place of business for this long-established
Birmingham concern. Three additional motor trucks
have recently been purchased with the intention of
making wide and thorough canvass of the Birmingham
territory.
REFERENCE TO A CLASSIFIED AD
In the classified advertising space in this issue of
Presto-Times appears a proposition for partnership
in an old established music business. Presto-Times
is familiar with this business and its owners and is
able to assure anyone interested in the proposition
set forth that the advertiser is reliable and has a
proposition well worth investigation by anyone in-
terested in getting back into a line of trade that
is coming rapidly to the fore—the piano and general
music business. This advertiser furnishes the best
of references.
DYER BROTHERS SHEET MUSIC DEPART-
MENT SOLD TO LYON & HEALY, ST. PAUL
The entire sheet music and record business of W.
J. Dyer & Brother, St. Paul, has been sold to the
Lyon & Healy St. Paul branch store. About Novem-
ber 7 the Lyon & Healy store will be located at 25
W. 5th street adjoining the Dyer Brothers' location
when the sheet music department will be moved to
the Lyon & Healy store. Until that time Lyon &
IIIIIM i iim t Miiiiiium mil 11 urn imiin Healy are operating this department from Dyer
Brothers at 23 W. 5th street, which is next door.
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